Government of India

Ministry of Finance

Department of Revenue

Central Board of Direct Taxes

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New Delhi, 09 March, 2026

Press Release

Income tax Department carries out nation-wide verification exercise on Restaurants suppressing turnover

Income tax Department carried out investigation relating to tax evasion pattern in Food & Beverage sector in November 2025. During the exercise, it was found that several restaurants were engaged in deletion of bulk bills and other modifications to suppress the actual sales.

Advanced analytics of transactional data from about 1.77 lakh restaurants in the F&B sector was carried out using AI-enabled analytical tools. The data was compared with the turnover declared in their Income Tax Returns. The analysis revealed large scale under-reporting of income. In some cases, recorded sales were not fully reflected in financial accounts or tax filings, and certain transactions were excluded from reported sales.

Consequently, on 8 March 2026, a nationwide survey was conducted on 62 restaurants across 46 cities in 22 States. On a preliminary basis, the exercise revealed suppression of sales amounting to around Rs. 408 Crores. Investigations in this regard are underway.

The Department continues to emphasise voluntary compliance and a trust-based approach. It has commenced the SAKSHAM NUDGE campaign to guide and advise taxpayers to correct their mistakes. Taxpayers are encouraged to file updated returns under Section 139(8A) of the Income Tax Act. In the first phase, emails and messages will be sent to the identified 63,000 restaurants, requesting them to update their returns before 31 March 2026.

(V. Rajitha)

Commissioner of Income Tax

(Media & Technical Policy) &

Official Spokesperson, CBDT

Tax compliance verification using AI uncovers restaurant under reporting; taxpayers urged to file updated returns under Section 139(8A). AI enabled transactional analytics compared point of sale data from restaurants with declared income and found deletion and modification of bills and exclusion of transactions leading to under reported sales. Preliminary surveys corroborated suppression and prompted targeted investigations. The Department combined targeted enforcement with a guidance campaign, SAKSHAM NUDGE, inviting identified taxpayers to file updated returns under Section 139(8A) and encouraging voluntary correction of returns.